Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between a transmission station and a wireless mobile device. Some wireless devices communicate using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) combined with a desired digital modulation scheme via a physical layer. Standards and protocols that use OFDM include the third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m), which is commonly known to industry groups as WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is commonly known to industry groups as WiFi.
In 3GPP radio access network (RAN) LTE systems, the transmission station can be a combination of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node Bs (also commonly denoted as evolved Node Bs, enhanced Node Bs, eNodeBs, or eNBs) and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), which communicates with the wireless mobile device, known as a user equipment (UE).
The 3GPP LTE or WiMax standards and protocols can be used in a wireless wide area network (WWAN). The WiFi standards and protocols can be used in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The WWAN can cover a larger area than the WLAN and can use transmission stations with a greater transmission power than the transmission power or WLAN transmission stations. The larger size of a WWAN compared to a WLAN network can use different technology and equipment. A wireless device can use a WWAN radio to communicate with the WWAN. A wireless device can use a WLAN radio to communicate with the WLAN. Wireless devices can include both WWAN and WLAN radios to allow communication with both WWAN and WLAN networks.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.